


time would pass us by

by rhapsodyinpink



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 100 entries, F/M, M/M, lover's dictionary, plance, secondary sheith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-27 18:39:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12588144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhapsodyinpink/pseuds/rhapsodyinpink
Summary: Every love story is made of thousands of little moments. These are some of theirs.(a lover’s dictionary for Pidge and Lance)





	time would pass us by

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_silverdoe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_silverdoe/gifts).



> A very belated birthday fic for my lovely friend [Justine](http://flusteredkeith.tumblr.com), who loves Plance!! 
> 
> I fell hard for this ship and I've been wanting to write a long plance fic for a while, and the lover's dictionary format has always been an interesting one to me— I thought it would be great to look at their relationship from a nonlinear perspective, from a range of points of view, including their own. 
> 
> This was originally going to be 26 entries, one for each letter of the alphabet. But then I got a little carried away, and so here we are, with 100 entries. 
> 
> Special shoutout to [Katie](https://amillionsmiles.tumblr.com/), [Teal](http://brettanomycroft.tumblr.com/), and [Shirley](http://adribug.tumblr.com/) for dealing with me squealing about this nonstop for the past two months, and to [Duckie](https://adjit.tumblr.com/) for inspiring me to explore this style in the first place through her own lover's dictionary fic, which you can read [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7859029). You rock <3 
> 
> Please read, enjoy, and share your thoughts in the comments.

**A.**

**ache** , _n_.

Somehow, it becomes a private late-night ritual between them, when the ache becomes too strong to bear— curled up underneath his blankets in the dark, sharing her headphones.

They talk for hours about memories that are beginning to fade, asking each other questions they are too afraid to face by the light of day.

“What if they think we’re dead?”

“They don’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“When you love your family that much, you know. You feel it if they’re really gone.”

“We didn’t say goodbye. We didn’t even think about it.”

“You know it was a life or death situation for Shiro. You made the right choice to go through the wormhole.”

“I know. But I still miss them.”

“I do too.”

 **adoration** , _n_. 

Though she tries to resist it, her gaze turns toward him whenever he enters a room. She’s an unwilling sunflower, inevitably drawn to his charm despite multiple attempts to escape it.

 **adventure** , _n_.

Coran notices it before anyone else. He’s seen the signs so many times before, watched so many love stories play out from start to finish. It’s beautiful every time.

But he says nothing. Love is an adventure best experienced with open eyes and an unassuming heart.

 **alive** , _adj._

“My darling Pidgeon.”

“What?”

“Have you been in the lab since last night?”

“No, why?”

“Are you familiar with the popular B movie _The Blob_?”

“Fuck, not again!”

 **anticipation** , _n._

Pidge is acutely aware of every muscle and pore in her body, taut and tense and trying not to tremble as Lance leans closer.

 

**B.**

**beauty** , _n._

Lance is sneaky about it, drawing her into the world of skincare by talking about the composition of the chemicals and how they react together. Soon, she knows more than even him and starts experimenting with different alien plants and minerals to make masks and soaps, first for him, and then, eventually, for everyone.

 **best friend** , _n._

Nyma traces a pattern on Lance’s chest with her sharp fingers, pushing him against the wall as she smiles cajolingly.

“Come on. Let’s have a clean start. I promise I’ve changed.”

Lance pushes away her hand and looks away as he folds his arms over his chest.

“No thanks, Nyma. I’m not interested. You know why.”

She purses her lips, disappointed.  “So you were serious about that? Really? Why her?”

Lance turns back to face her and holds her gaze.

His voice is steady.

“She’s my best friend.”

 **brother** , _n._

“What you told those aliens…is that really how you see me?”

“Of course not. That role is already occupied by someone else and he’s doing a pretty good job.”

“Then why—”

“I only said that because our relationship is none of their business and I don’t like gossip. This was the best way to shut them up.”

“I guess. I don’t know. I wish I hadn’t heard you say that at all.”

“Lance, don’t make this weird for us.”

“I’m not the one who just told two random aliens that I was like your brother when they asked if we were dating!”

“We’re here on official Voltron business. Do you really want people focusing on our personal lives instead of diplomacy?”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with gossip. I think you’re afraid.”

“Yes. I am. What we have is just for us. I don’t want anyone else involved.”

“They don’t have to be involved, Pidge. I’m not asking you to make some sort of public announcement that we’re dating. I just want you to be honest when someone asks you if something is going on between us. I think that at least is fair.”

“Okay. I’ll try. I just need some time.”

 

**C.**

**caring** , _adj_.

“Why are you putting so much effort into this?” asks Hunk, clearly surprised by Pidge’s request to help her create a care package for Lance for his solo mission.

The others don’t know yet, so she has to scramble for an excuse.

“He’s going to be alone for two weeks. I think it would be nice for him to have something from all of us, so he doesn’t get lonely. You know how he gets.”

“Damn. Never thought I’d see the day when you of all people would get soft.”

“I’m human, Hunk, not a cactus.”

“I’m just saying. It’s nice.”

 **classmate** , _n._

“Katie, honey, I’m so glad you called. How are you? Have you found any new information on your dad and Matt?”

“Ugh, Mom, I keep trying, but this guy in my class, Lance, he keeps dragging me out to town with his friend Hunk in the evenings and I haven’t had time to look for anything new for the past two weeks. He’s obsessed with team bonding and he never listens when I tell him I’m not interested.”

“Oh. Is he cute?”

“ _Moooom._ I don’t have time for that sort of thing.”

“I know. I’m just teasing. Good luck, honey. I’m sure you’ll find something soon.”

 **confession** , _n._

Despite multiple snooping attempts, Hunk is never able to figure out who confessed their feelings first.

The curiosity burns like an itch he can’t scratch. What once was an unspoken tension as thick as a fog has disappeared overnight, replaced by a wordless understanding between them woven from a fabric that’s entirely new.

It’s none of his business, but fuck if he isn’t dying to know how it all went down. His instincts are telling him that Lance was the one to break first, but then again, Pidge is a wild card. Maybe she sprung a confession on Lance when he wasn’t even expecting it and it all snowballed from there.

He’ll find out someday, after they come out of their honeymoon phase. Maybe he can bribe Pidge with embarrassing information about Lance she can use as leverage.

 **constellation** , _n._

They’re alone in Lance’s family home when the power goes out during a freak storm that suddenly rushes in while the others still at the grocery store.

With nothing else to do in the dark, they decide to play one of their favorite games to pass time while they wait for the others to return.

They sit across from each other at the dinner table, their faces are only by the dim, flickering beams of the candle Pidge finds while rummaging around the kitchen.

She closes her eyes and waits for Lance to lean across the table, her brows furrowing together in anticipation until he finally reaches over and smooths away the wrinkle with his fingers.

Silently, carefully, he traces a pattern down her face, a graceful, fluid motion— and then he drops his hand.

Pidge keeps her eyes closed and considers.

“Cygnus?”

“Nope. Orion.”

“Damnit. Okay, try another one before we switch.”

“You sure? You're zero for three now.”

“Yes. I'm gonna get it this time.”

“If you say so…”

“Draw another constellation on my face, Lance.”

“As you wish, buttercup.”

“Shut up, Wesley.”

 **convergence** , _n._

Allura smiles across the rack of clothes at Pidge, who she has finally convinced to tag along on her latest shopping expedition during their month long sabbatical on Earth. It's been such a long time since they've had any girl time together, and Allura is dying to talk to Pidge about all of her dating milestones with Lance without Hunk snooping around or the others teasing her for being so invested in her friends’ relationship. She wants to talk about romance, about all the little ways in which Pidge has changed and grown in the past few months, to indulge in the giddy newness of their relationship. It's literally been ten thousand years since she's had anyone to talk to and tease about crushes and boyfriends and she will not let this rare chance slip through her fingers.

“So, Pidge, how are things going with Lance?”

Pidge shrugs. “They're going well, I guess. Why?”

“Oh! Well, I suppose I was just curious. I'm so happy to hear things are going well.”

Allura flushes and looks away, pretending to examine a very sparkly crop top displayed on the mannequin next to her. Not the most satisfying conversation, but she should have known better. Despite Pidge’s blunt nature, blunt questions are not the best way to get information from her. She will have to try another way.

Pidge jumps as Allura whirls back around and begins again.

“Pidge, are you familiar with the fascinating human phenomenon of shared mannerisms?”

“Probably. It would depend on what you're talking about specifically.”

“I was speaking with Shiro and your brother about it. Did you know that when you spend a great deal of time with someone, you begin to pick up their behavior? Such as your manner of speech, or body language.”

“Oh! Yeah, of course. That’s why old married couples are so similar to each other. Why?”

Allura simply smiles at Pidge until she blanches with realization.

“I...I...am I acting like Lance? Is he rubbing off on me?”

“Well, you did refer to yourself as Pidgey-Pidge the other day.”

“Oh no.”

Allura grins wickedly. “Oh, yes.”

 

**D.**

**dancing** _, v._

Lance groans internally as he watches Pidge. Her expression is calm, unworried, preemptively triumphant. He can almost smell his own defeat hanging in the air. But it’s too late now.

“Okay. Rules of the game. Two minutes of silence. Straight face. No smiling. No laughing. No expressions whatsoever.  Whoever breaks first has to do whatever dare the winner comes up with.”

It takes about twenty seconds longer than before for him to break first, but as always, he does. It’s just impossible for him to look at her and not smile.

And that is why after dinner that night, he is forced to stand in front of Coran and do the macarena in complete silence for three whole minutes (Pidge has a timer and keeps count).

 **dashed** , _v._

“Don’t worry babe, I’m not dating the green paladin. Those are just rumors.”

 **diurnal** , _adj._

Shiro is a creature of habit. Developing a steady routine has helped him keep his mind steady and clear and has brought a sense of stability to his days.

One of his favorite daily activities is a brisk morning jog around the castle. He likes it not only because it allows him to do a quick scan of whether everything is all clear, but also because it’s a quiet and peaceful way to start the morning before everyone else wakes up.

For the most part, there’s not much that changes day by day, including Pidge’s favorite sleeping spot, the couch in the common area, laptop set gently on the floor next to her.

He smiles to himself every time he sees her, wondering if she’s ever slept in her own bed at all.

One morning, Shiro runs by the common area and sees Pidge sleeping on the couch as usual, but there’s one small difference: Pidge is using Lance’s jacket as a blanket.

At first, Shiro doesn’t think much of it. All of them have shared their jackets with Pidge as a blanket or to warm her up. It’s just something they all do.

But instinct tells him to look a little closer, and when he does, he notices details that hint at something more: the way she curls into the sleeves, holding them close to her face; the quietly blissful expression she wears, even in her sleep.

Shiro doesn’t know if Lance knows about the way she feels, if this is something new, or something well established that managed to escape his attention until this moment. And really, it’s none of his business.

But now that he knows, he’ll keep an eye out for both of them. He supports both of his friends and wants them to be happy, but it is of utmost importance to make sure everyone on the team is happy and in sync, regardless of any changes to personal relationships.

But he has a feeling there’s not much to worry about here. If anything, this will make them stronger.

 

**E.**

**endearing** , _adj._

“Blue, I know that you’re not technically my lion anymore, but I had to come to you to talk about this. I think I have a crush on Pidge and it is blowing my mind. Has she always been this cute? How did I never notice before? How do I even flirt with her? You’ve gotta help me, girl. I don't know how to handle this one.”

 **eternity** , _n._

A few months after the liberation of the planet Kebahagiaan, Pidge and Lance return to the capital city at Allura’s request to check on the process of rebuilding and to offer help from Voltron, should it be needed.

Fortunately, it appears that things are going well, which leaves them both with a fair amount of free time to wander about and explore before heading back to the castle. At the suggestion of the queen, they take a tour through the city’s famous sculpture garden, though neither of them have much of a taste for art.

Still, they both manage to find one that captures their interest, a large sculpture composed of a couple standing under a massive tree: a young woman with her arms outstretched, her partner embracing her from behind, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

The joy the sculpture exudes is magnetic. Lance can't stop staring, but Pidge manages to tear her attention away long enough to find the plaque describing it.

“This sculpture was commissioned by Queen Kinta the 9th to commemorate the legendary love of Pixin and Lasak. Together, they blessed our world for 40 Kalandrans before departing for the land beyond.”

Lance furrows his eyebrows. “How long is 40 Kalandrans?”

Pidge’s eyes widen as she calculates the conversion.

“800 years.”

“Holy crow.”

“No shit.”

“They were together forever. Can you even imagine?”

“No,” says Pidge, shaking her head (though she realizes months later that this is the moment when she begins to wonder).  

As they move away and down the path, neither mentions it out loud, but they both think it—

Pixin and Lasak look a lot like them.

 **event horizon** , _n._

The first time Pidge truly comprehends what it means to be in love with someone is after she walks into the kitchen early one morning and catches her father staring after her mother with a look of pure adoration.

She’s young then, not fully grasping the depth of his emotions, but the moment stirs something in her, and it sticks.

She files it away in her long term memory and doesn’t think of it again for years, until she notices Keith staring at Shiro one evening when they’re sitting alone on the couch in the common area.

His expression reminds her so much of that moment that it shakes her; she realizes, now, how intimate it was, and she feels uncomfortable intruding.

She backs out of the room, trembling for reasons she can’t fully comprehend.

Her mind wanders to Lance, and the new relationship they are privately navigating together, the parameters and boundaries they want to figure out before telling anyone else.

She wonders if she’s ever looked at him like that, or if he’s ever looked at her like that.

They’re standing at the precipice of something new, but she’s afraid to go over the edge.

 

**F.**

**family** _, n._

“Okay, but what side of the aisle are they going to sit on?”

“I claim Hunk. He's brown, he loves cooking, he loves gossip, he’ll fit right in with my family. If he sits with my cousins, nobody will even realize he’s not actually related to us.”

“Fair enough. In that case, I claim Keith and Shiro for the Holts.”

“Why do you get both of them?”

“First of all, they're a married couple and it would not make sense to split them up. Secondly, I'm planning to have my Nonna ambush Keith after the ceremony to force feed him bolognese and it will be much easier for that to happen if they're sitting close to each other.”

“You're making seating decisions for our wedding so you can win a petty argument about whether Olive Garden is real Italian food?”

“Of course not. The real reason I want them to sit on my side of the aisle is because it makes sense for Shiro to catch up with my dad. It's been a while.”

“While that’s quite a convincing story, I'm going to point out the major flaw in your logic, in that your father is going to be too busy walking you down the aisle towards me to catch up with Shiro.”

“Olive Garden is garbage, Lance. He has to learn.”

 **finally** , _adv._

“Can I kiss you?”

 **flirt** , _v._

“Maybe. Do you think you can handle me?”

 **follow** , _v._

“Let me take the lead and see for yourself.”

 **forever** , _adv._

“Lance, this whole foreplay thing is taking way too long. Can we just make out already? I really need to get back to my project. I'm super close to finishing this section of the code and I was really hoping to spend some time working on it after hanging out with you.”

 **freckles** , _n._

Pidge’s reluctance to go outdoors when she has the option of staying inside on her laptop has not changed in decades, but she still goes on an afternoon walk with Lance every day, just to see him smile.

What she still doesn't know after all these years is why he loves it so much when she does: her freckles, which dot her face like hundreds of little stars after prolonged exposure to anything resembling sunlight.

He sees them appear on her skin and he sees the vast universe they’ve left behind for the familiarity of home.

He sees the fondness in her eyes and remembers why they chose stability after years of adventure, sacrificing heroism and fame for the chance for live a simpler life, indulging in the small comforts of normality.

It’s something they weren’t sure they’d ever have.

It’s something they’ve earned, together.

 **friendship** , _n._

“Hey Pidge, do you believe in love at first sight?”

“No, Hunk. I don’t think that’s possible. I think love has to have a basis in friendship, or some kind of previously established relationship to be worth anything.”

“That kind of sounds like you and Lance, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know. That kind of sounds like you making conjectures based on false assumptions, don’t _you_ think?”

“You can keep denying it, Pidge, but you’re not as good at lying as you think you are.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

**G.**

**gaze** , _v._

“Princess! I totally saw Lance staring at Pidge during dinner. You noticed too, right?”

“Hunk, you are such a gossip.”

“Come on.”

“...I will admit there was some tension in the air between them. The mice might have mentioned something as well.”

“Oh, so it’s okay for the _mice_ to gossip with you about those two but not me? I’m offended, Princess. You have offended me.”

 **golden** , _adj._

_Okay, Lance. You’ve got this. You just have to confess. You can do this. Get past it and you’re golden. You’re pretty sure she likes you back. She’s kind of weird, not like the other girls you know, but you’ve waited long enough, and it’s about time._

**grin** , _v._

“Why are you grinning like that?”

“What, I’m not allowed to smile at my girlfriend in the morning?”

“That’s not a smile. That’s a cheshire grin. You’re up to something.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Lance, if you’re planning another surprise birthday party for me, I swear to god—”

“What?! No. No way! That would be crazy!”

“ _Lance.”_  

 

**H.**

**hair** , _n._

Pidge feels conflicted when her hair finally starts growing past her shoulders again. Though she had been reluctant to cut it off in the first place, her short hair has become a way to mark the new stage of life she’s entered, to physically define the new identity she’s adopted. Without it, the line starts to blur.

Long hair belonged to Katie. But does it belong to Pidge?

Lance suddenly appears behind her as she stands in front of the mirror, staring dubiously at her reflection.

“Someone looks like she’s got something on her mind. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know whether to let my hair grow out or cut it short again.”

Lance ruffles the top of her head. “Well, I think you look cute either way.”

“That isn’t helpful, Lance,” huffs Pidge.

Lance laughs. “Never said I was trying to be.”

 **headphones** , _n._

One day, Hunk finally asks the question point blank.

”Why is Lance the only one who’s allowed to use your headphones? This is blatant favoritism.”

“Leave Pidge alone, Hunk,” scolds Shiro, for which she is thankful. “It’s her choice who to share her headphones with.”

She’s not ready to admit the truth just yet.

 **hands** , _n._

“Seriously, do you know how small they are? They're tiny!”

“Shut up, Lance!”

“I will never shut up about my girlfriend’s tiny, adorable hands.”

“You are literally the worst.”

“No, that would be Keith.”

“Don't change the subject.”

“So you want me to keep talking about your hands?”

“I want you to stop talking at all.”

“Good idea. Let’s make out instead.”

 **honesty** , _n._

Pidge has never been one to mince words. She makes observations, doesn’t hold back, and rarely pads the truth with words of comfort. She’s always thought that honesty is a far better modus operandi; Denial is dangerous— it’s an emotional security blanket that keeps people from doing what they need to do.

So why, she wonders, does she keep lying to herself?

**human** _, n._

“Coran, why do you think it is taking them so long to realize their feelings are mutual?”

“Well, Allura, perhaps it’s a human thing.”

 **hyperbolic** , _adj._

“I’m not being dramatic.”

“I know.”

 **hypothesis** , _n._

“I think I like you.”

“Prove it.”

 

**I.**

**ill-will** , _n._

Pidge smiles as Lance and Hunk return from their latest outreach mission to gather more members for the Voltron Coalition. They’ve all been working hard, but Lance has a special ability to make even the most mundane missions sound fun and exciting.

It’s been a long week, and she’s looking forward to hearing about their adventures and maybe roping him into another game of Kilbot, which they finally managed to rig up in his room.

She listens intently as he launches into the story, laughing as he waves his arms around in what is surely an exaggeration of how much the people on the planet were fawning over them.

She wonders, absently, if they should switch things up and she can go with him on the next coalition building mission.

But then he takes out his phone — Pidge’s phone — and pulls up all of the selfies he’s taken with all the pretty aliens cozying up to him as he beams at the camera, and she can feel her lips curl downward along with her mood.

Maybe going with him on a solo mission wouldn’t be such a good idea after all.

 **infuriating** , _adj._

She can’t even pinpoint the exact moment when she stops finding him annoying. That, in itself, is infuriating.

 **infinite** , _adj._

Her mind is infinite, and he finds it infinitely fascinating.  

 

**J.**

**jacket** , _n._

“Pidge, it’s freezing in here. Why are you sitting in the dark without your windbreaker?”

“Oh, it’s in my room. I forgot to put it on. I’m fine though.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, mom.”

“You’re shivering. Here, take my jacket.”

“Didn’t you just say it was cold?”

“Yeah, but I can borrow Mullet’s jacket. It’s just sitting in his room anyway. He didn’t take it with him to the Blades. It’s weird and short, but it works.”

“Oh. Okay. Thanks.”

“...You’re only saying yes because you think I’m going to look dumb in his jacket and you’re going to take pictures of me as blackmail, aren’t you?”

“You said it, not me.”

 **jealousy** , _n._

He flirts with cute aliens all the time. He has no right whatsoever to be jealous of Pidge for going on a date with the hot but nerdy looking alien they met the last time they went to the space mall who she has apparently been texting every night for the past week.

And yet here he is, a hypocrite wallowing in a pool of self-pity.

 **justice** , _n._

“Hunk. Pidge looks way better in my jacket than I do.”

“You...don’t sound that mad about it though? Are we happy about this? Sad? Annoyed? You’ve gotta throw me a bone here, I don’t know how you want me to react.”

“ _This is so unfair._ ”

“Unhappy then.”

“ _She’s so cute._ ”

“Okay, so, happy?”

“ _Ughhhhh._ ”

“Please stop blowing your nose on my bedsheets.”

 

**K.**

**Kaltenecker** , _n_.

“Do you have any pets back home?” Pidge asks as she follows Lance to the makeshift stable to feed the cow they have accidentally adopted.

“No,” Lance replies. “But there are a couple outdoor cats that like crowding by the violets in our backyard. I think my brother used to feed them there and they thought if they came by, someone would give them food.”

Pidge laughs. “That’s cute. I don’t have a cat, but my family has a dog named Bae-Bae. She’s so friendly and sweet, you’d love her.”

Lance’s eyes are soft as he turns to look at her. “I bet I would.”

 **karaoke** , _n._

“WHAT IS LOVE??? BABY DON’T HURT ME, DON’T HURT ME, NO MORE!”

“NO PROMISES, NO DEMANDS, LOVE IS A BATTLEFIEEEELD...”

Hunk stuffs his fingers in his ears and winces as he tries to avoid the heat of Keith’s withering glare. He had genuinely thought that hosting a karaoke night would be a good way to break the tension building between Pidge and Lance after their first big fight as a couple.

He should have known they would continue to duke it out through song.

 

**L.**

**loneliness** , _n._

“My loneliness is killing me...I must confess, I still believe...”

“Lance, singing Britney Spears is not going to convince me to let you into my lab. I’m trying to work here. You are a distraction. Please stop moping around outside the door.”

“Whatever. You’re just jealous because I beat you at karaoke last night.”

 **lifetime** , _n._

Zarkon and Honerva are a cautionary tale; an exercise in the consequences of holding on too hard, of grasping onto something with a time limit that’s meant to eventually expire.

And so as the years progress, they don’t fight it; they face the end together.

There are infinite universes, infinite chances and possibilities to come together once again.

They are not afraid.

 **light** , _n._

When her light goes out, he follows.

 **list** , _n._

Speed Dial 1: Lance  

Speed Dial 2: Matt

Speed Dial 3: Shiro and Keith

Speed Dial 4: Home

 **love** , _n._

Love comes softly, unexpectedly, or so Pidge has always been lead to believe. But that is not how it happens for her.

For Pidge, love comes crashing over her like a tidal wave at 3 in the morning while she's sprawled on Lance’s bed next to him, playing with his hair as they reminisce about home.

He smiles in the dark and pulls her close.

 _Oh,_ she thinks, as her heart beats wild as a drum and her breath catches in her throat. _So this is love._

 

**M.**

**measure** , _v._

The one time she tries to bake something for his birthday, they come to a mutual agreement that she should save the chemistry experiments for her lab.

 **memory** , _n._

She doesn’t tell him that he is her first kiss until years after, when it no longer matters.

 **more** , _adv._

A born romantic, Lance had always thought true love would be more of an epiphany, an overwhelming sense of passion that would flood his senses as he realized she was the one.

Instead, he finds it tangled in knobby knees and sweaty palms. It’s wrapped around knotted video game cords, dwelling in the dark purple circles hanging like half moons under her eyes, and warming her cheeks as he brushes his hand against them, wiping stray cookie crumbs from the edges of her lips.

 

**N.**

**nesting** , _v._

“So?”

She’s beaming, her smile wider than he’s ever seen it.

“It’s twins.”

 **never** , _adv._

Nonstop bickering and bantering are part and parcel of their relationship, but they never go to bed angry. If there’s something they’ve learned from years out in space, it’s that it’s not worth sweating over the little things.

 **nickname** , _n._

She only has one nickname for him, which she whispers in his ear when they are curled together in the dark.

 

**O.**

**obvious** , _adj._

In retrospect, Pidge should have seen it coming. She knows Lance by now; she recognizes all of his tells— when he’s full of shit, when he’s being genuine, when he actually means what he says, and when he’s lying.

But the fact that she had her own crush on him made her a little myopic, and she missed the truth that was standing right in front of her own eyes.

 **only** , _adv._

Katie “Pidge” Holt is not the first young woman who enters Lance’s family home with her arms linked through his. But she is the only one who truly counts.

 **outlier** , _n._

He is, and always has been, the one exception to her rules.

 

**P.**

**parallel** , _adj._

“Hunk, are you telling me that they developed feelings for each other at the same time but didn’t realize it?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Princess.”

 **partner** , _n._

Over the past few months, Shiro has noticed that Lance and Pidge make a surprisingly effective team whenever they are paired up. He makes a note to himself to assign them to missions together more often.

 **peach** , _n._

“If my relatives ever met you, they would probably pronounce your name as peach. Pidge is kind of difficult to pronounce.”

“Oh yeah? I guess I don’t mind. That’s pretty cute. If my relatives ever met you, they would probably just call you Lance. We Holts don’t really do nicknames.”

“Didn’t you say Matt was the one who came up with Pidge in the first place?”

“I should rephrase. Holts don’t really do nicknames for outsiders.”

“Ouch. I really thought we were family by now.”

“Yeah. No. You’re gonna have to work your way into Matt’s good graces.”

“What did I ever do to him?”

“Well, you’re dating his kid sister. But don’t worry, it’s mostly an act. If you invite him to play Kilbot Phantasm 5 with us and let him win, I’m sure he’ll forgive you.”

“I’ll think about it. Also, now that I think about it, I kind of like the nickname Peach for you. What do you think?”

“Does it really matter what I think?”

“Not really, my sweet little peach.”

 **pining** , _v._

“Pidge. You didn't call. Not even once. Do you know how it felt, to not hear your voice at all for six whole months?”

“I was undercover. You know how dangerous it would have been. And anyway, I’m back now.”

“Shiro and Keith made it work.”

“Shiro and Keith are serious about each other.”

“And we’re not?”

“Are we?”

“Why would you ever think I wasn't serious? I am serious, Pidge. I'm serious about you. I always have been.”

 **playlist** , _n._

“Hey, Lance. Don’t tell anyone, but I actually like your taste in music.”

“Why can’t I tell anyone?!”

“I have a reputation to uphold.”

 **possibility** , _n._

“Hey, what do you think our kid would look like?” Lance whispers in Pidge’s ear as he subtly points to the tiny blue skinned alien with big hair and two, equally beautiful heads walking in front of them at the Space Mall. “Do you think it would be possible?”

“Lance, I’m tired of making Punnett squares predicting the outcomes of you and random aliens. Do it yourself.”

“I’m just saying. Keith is a prime example of what happens when humans and aliens come together.”

“You spend way too much time thinking about this.”

“Make me one last Punnett square and I'll bribe the guy at the Earth store to give us his last Mario Kart game for free.”

“...Fine. You've got yourself a deal. But this is the last time.”

“The last time until I make you an offer you can't refuse, anyway.”

 **prison** , _n._

Sitting around the long table in the Castle of Lions during dinner one night, it occurs to Matt just how many things have happened ever since he left Earth; a failed mission, getting captured by the Galra and being thrown into prison, learning that his own sister is one of the legendary paladins of Voltron, and also that said sister almost certainly has a crush on Lance, who he isn't entirely fond of.

He would tease her, but something tells Matt that his little sister wouldn't be afraid to wreck him and toss him back into a dungeon if he so much as breathes a word about her secret crush to Lance.

So he sits back silently and watches the fun instead.

 

**Q.**

**quickly** , _adv._

“Did you know that the Earth spins 1000 miles an hour close to the equator?”

“That sounds like something we would have learned in school, but I probably wasn’t listening. Why?”

“I was just wondering about the average speed of rotation on the other planets on this side of the universe. What was the original basis for measuring time? The Galra and Alteans obviously didn't follow the Gregorian system, but who was in charge of developing the system, and how was it standardized? How do you account for time when traveling through wormholes? Wouldn't standardizing the length of a day be nearly impossible? Is there an official conversion chart? How did they figure it all out?”

“Please tell those are all rhetorical questions you're only asking me because you're about to blow my mind with some amazing physics and science facts.”

“Of course.”

“Thought so. Tell me about your theories.”

“Well…”

 **quiet** , _adj._

Keith doesn’t like to get involved in the personal business of the other paladins. It’s not because he doesn’t care; it’s because he doesn’t feel like it’s his place to interfere.

That said, when both Lance and Pidge have been acting quiet and awkward whenever they are near each other, even he can’t help but notice.

He mentions as much to Shiro one night, concerned about whether he should do something.

Oddly, Shiro just smiles.

 **quiver** , _v._

“Lance, stop moving around so much, they’re going to find us!”

“Pidge, I’m going to be completely honest with you. The fact that it’s been less than 2 hours since you agreed to be my girlfriend and that we’re alone in a closet and you’re not even allowing me to touch you is making it really, really hard for me to stay still.”

“It was your idea to play Sardines with the rest of the team.”

“Yeah. So you could find a hiding place that nobody but I could find and we could make out in privacy without anyone wondering where we went.”

“That was a poorly thought out plan. The risk of being found is way too high to take any chances.”

“This is literally the worst thing that has ever happened to me.”

 

**R.**

**rain** , _n._

The look on his face as they dance together in the storm that suddenly arrives a few days after they land on Earth stays with her for years.

 **rational** , _adj._

“You know, Shiro probably wouldn’t approve of us turning this part of the training deck into a water slide.”

“Guess it’s a good thing that he’s off on vacation with Keith then, isn’t it?”

“Exactly.”

 **reaching** , _v._

Lance has nearly reached the innermost chamber of the enemy base when he hears her scream.

His heart drops and he rushes out of the room, sprinting down the hall and sending silent prayers to any higher powers who might be listening to make sure Pidge is unharmed, for nothing to happen until he finds her.

 **relent** ,v.

“Pidge, I’m sorry! You know that’s not what I meant.”

“That’s your standard line whenever you get caught in a lie or an uncomfortable situation. You use it in 70% of your arguments, but only with a 20% success rate.”

“Don’t start with your numbers. You always use them as an excuse to ignore the bigger picture.”

“Everything is about numbers, Lance. Even us.”

“Please. Just give me a chance to explain.”

“Fine. But this is your last chance.”

 **restlessness** , _n._

Keith has always been an insomniac, but wandering the halls of the castle late at night helps sometimes.

It also means he has been privy to several private moments that he has no business knowing about.

But he’s not about to tattle on Lance and Pidge. After all, it’s not like he has room to talk. He gets it. He and Shiro have taken advantage of many late nights and dark corners.

 **reunion** , _n._

“So did you meet a bunch of hot aliens like you always dreamed of?” asks Tristan, Lance’s older brother, grinning knowingly as he swings an arm around his shoulder.

Lance laughs. “More than you could ever imagine. They were sexy as hell. But honestly? None of them have anything on Pidge.”

“Thank god for Pidge,” says Tristan, raising his beer. “You might be Mom’s favorite, but even you would have a hard time getting her on board with an orange alien girlfriend with four arms and two heads.”

“Hey, I have met some _very_ nice orange aliens. Don’t write off the beauty of extraterrestrial lifeforms until you experience them for yourself.”

“Whatever you say, little bro. Just promise me that you won’t go and disappear for five years again, okay?”

“Promise.”

 **roommate** , _n._

“Hey, Gunderson! I heard you drew a single.”

Pidge whirls around to see the loud, lanky boy in her first period class standing behind her. She wonders what he wants.

“Yeah, I did. Why?”

He smiles broadly. “Just wanted to let you know I’m down the hallway if you’re looking for a friend to hang out with.”

Pidge isn’t interested in making new friends. She’s here on a mission.

“I know it can get lonely in a new place, especially when you don’t have a roommate,” he continues. “Let me know if you need anything.”

She startles as he claps a hand on her back and looks at her, waiting for her response.

“But I don’t even remember your name,” she blurts out, not knowing what else to say.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m Lance,” he says with a friendly laugh, shrugging it off so easily that Pidge winces internally at her own bluntness.

Lance seems kind. She should try to be nicer to him, even if she doesn’t really care about being his friend.

 

**S.**

**secret** , _n._

She holds her love close to her chest for such a long time that it’s a fully formed pearl by the time he finally unfurls her.  

 **shark** , _n._

“Lance, a shark wouldn’t even _fit_ in a cryopod.”

“Listen. If Keith gets a hippo, I get a shark.”

“Well, I choose an owl. It’s way more practical. And it’s cute!”

“You know that owls eat mice, right? What if your cryopod buddy eats Allura’s friends?”

“Still a better choice than yours. I can at least train her not to eat them. Good luck training your shark.”

 **sign** , _n._

“I can see what’s happening,” says Hunk. “And they don’t have a clue.”

Keith raises an eyebrow. “Is that a reference to something, or are you talking about Lance and Pidge crushing on each other?”

 **soulmate** , _n._

“Hey Hunk, wouldn’t it be cool if we lived in a reality where our soulmate’s name was imprinted on our bodies somewhere?”

“Lance, if this about trying to convince Pidge to get a tramp stamp of your name on her lower back, I can tell you right now that she’s never going to do it.”

“Honestly, this is less about convincing her to get one and more about figuring out what to tell her when she realizes that I did.”

 

**T.**

**tenderness** , _n._

Lance is half asleep and so delirious from his latest stay in the healing pod the first time Pidge tells him “I love you,” that she’s pretty sure he doesn’t even hear her until he lifts his arm and strokes her cheek.

 **tether** , _v._

“Stay close to me,” she warns. “We have to move as one. The alarms will go off immediately if they sense that there are two of us.”

“Aye aye, captain,” he whispers into her ear, feeling a giddy sort of pleasure at the way the hairs on the back of her neck prickle up as she shivers. “Just call me your shadow.”

 **theory** , _n._

Allura would hardly call herself a scientist, but she’s been nursing a theory about two of her fellow paladins that only the mice know about.

Judging from the way both of their cheeks have been turning red whenever they’re anywhere near each other lately, she has a suspicion that her theory holds water. 

**timing** , _n._

Hunk frowns as he watches Lance lying facedown on his bed, sniffling all over his freshly washed sheets and grumbling about everything that’s going wrong.

He wants to help, but this isn’t really a situation where he can do much. The ball is in Lance’s court.

“Listen,” he says to Lance. “If you’re looking for the perfect time to tell her you like her, it’s never going to happen. You just have to pick a moment and go for it.”

 **tipping point** , _n._

The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change.

A blanket always ready to drape over her shoulders, developing a casual intimacy that feels as natural as breathing, hundreds of inside jokes, genuine compliments that come out of nowhere, with increasing frequency, countless nights spent chatting until the others wake up and they realize that neither of them have gotten any sleep; there are so many moments that Pidge finds herself losing count.

She’s over the edge before she even realizes it’s happening.  

 **together** , _adv._

“I’ve never held hands with anyone before,” she admits, looking down and flushing in spite of herself. “This is all kind of new for me.”

Lance smiles as he gently winds his fingers through hers.

“That’s okay. We can take it slow. I’m not going anywhere.” 

 

**U.**

**ultraviolet** , _n._

Lance is aghast when he walks into Pidge’s room and finds her lying flat on her back on the floor, her face as red as Keith’s jacket.

“I’m so sorry! I had no idea you could get sunburn in space. I just wanted to see the sunset with you on the beach.”

Pidge winces as she smiles with her eyes closed and reaches an arm out towards the sound of his voice.

“It's not your fault. I know you had no way of knowing the UV rays on this planet were fifty times stronger than on Earth.”

“Why didn't you say something if you knew the whole time?”

“I don't know. Something about you always makes me a act a little irrational.”

“This is more than a little irrational, Pidge, it’s dangerous!”

“I didn't want to interrupt our romantic moment.”

 **universe** , _n._

After the war ends, Pidge continues to search for the hidden seams and edges of the universe, but she always finds her way back to him.

If she’s learned anything over the years, it’s that no secret of the universe is as important as coming home.

 **unsurprising** , _adj._

The only real surprise (for the two of them, at least) was how unsurprised everyone else was when Pidge and Lance finally announced that they were dating.

 

**V.**

**Varadero** , _n._

“I have to take you there someday. You can’t even imagine water so blue.”

“Sure I can. I just have to look into your eyes.”

“Did Katie Holt just say something sappy? Who are you and what did you do with my girlfriend?”

“You’re right. That was weird. I’m never doing that again.”

 **vow** , _v._

Sam Holt’s gaze is steady and thoughtful as Lance tells him that he plans to propose to his daughter.

“Do you promise to always stay by her side, no matter what?”

Lance’s reply is immediate and without hesitation. ”Always. I promise.”

Sam shakes his head. “That was a trick question, son. You never know what life will throw your way. Don’t make promises you don’t know you can keep.”

“My apologies, sir. I didn’t know you meant the question literally. Pidge wears a locket with my picture in it, so technically I will always be by her side, even if I’m not physically present.”

“It sounds like Katie prepared you well for this conversation.”

“We’ve been doing question drills for a month, sir.”

**vulnerable** _, adj._

“You don't have to do everything on your own. It's okay to ask for help and let your guard down. I'm here for you.”

“I know."

 

**W.**

**wander** , _v._

“The floor is yours, number 5!” says Coran, gracefully clearing the space on the podium after he finally finishes an hour long story about the the time he spent a month wandering around a jungle planet because he couldn’t find the base camp his fellow explorers had set up.

It’s intended to be an attempt to reassure and inspire a young group of rebels who must make a long journey to another galaxy, but it’s obvious that he’s lost them.

Pidge hates public speaking, but all of the paladins take turns doing damage control after Coran gives speeches, and unfortunately, it’s her turn.

Still, she tries to have fun with it. She and Lance have been working movie quotes into all of their motivational speeches, and though it looks like Hunk is beginning to catch on, Shiro and Keith are still thankfully completely oblivious.

“First, let me just say, not all who wander are lost,” announces Pidge in a very serious voice, eyes twinkling as Lance chokes into his hand, trying to mask his laughter.  

 **warm** , _adj._

“You know, skin-to-skin contact is the best way to combat hypothermia.”

“I don’t think that theory has been proven successfully.”

“I think it sounds like a good opportunity to conduct a scientific experiment.”

“And I think it sounds like you’re just looking for an excuse to cuddle.”

“Damn, you got me. I was trying to be sneaky.”

“It’s a good thing you’re cute.”  

“Aww, you think I’m cute?”

“Shut up.”

 **weakness** , _n._

“He’s your new weakness,” says Matt with a smirk when he catches her staring after Lance.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pidge retorts, the edges of her voice sharp with the fear of denial.

“Tell me this,” counters Matt. “Are you capable of rational thought when you’re alone with him in a room?”

 **whipped** , _adj_.

“Lance, dude, you’re totally whipped.”

Lance beams. “I know.”

 **wife** , _n._

After becoming the red paladin, Lance spends an inordinate amount of time wondering about the semantics about whether his future wife would be called Mrs. Blue Lion or Mrs. Red Lion.

“What if she doesn’t want to be called Mrs. at all?” counters Pidge one day, when she overhears him thinking out loud. “For all we know, alien nomenclature is totally different. You might even have to change _your_ name.”

That night, Lance is surprised to find that for some reason, the words “Mr. Green Lion” keep spinning around his head.

 **wit** , _n._

“She’s the smartest one out of all of us,” he announces everywhere they go, until word of her genius reaches the farthest corners of the universe.

 **wormhole** , _n._

Pidge grasps Lance’s shoulder as they face the bright blue light surrounding the open wormhole. They’re about to dive headfirst into a brand new world, to a part of the universe that’s further away than any place known to man.

There’s no going back now and there’s nothing she can do but trust him.

So she does, and she holds on tight.  

 

**X.**

**xenophile** , _n._

Lance appreciates every beautiful lifeform the universe has to offer, from alien mermaids with plush lips and voluminous hair to stunning giantesses with long legs and four arms.

Still, in the end, there’s nothing more beautiful to him than the way Pidge’s golden brown hair glows in the artificial light of the castle as she pumps her fist in the air after kicking his ass yet again in Killbot Phantasm 5.

 

**Y.**

**yes** , _n._

She knows him well enough by now to see the question coming from a mile away, but she surprises even herself when her answer comes out as a watery emotional sob, muffled by his jacket as she buries her face in his chest while he slides the ring on her finger. 

 

**Z.**

**zap** , _v._

“Aww, you’ve got a _cute_ little bayard!” he crows, with a smug little smirk.

“Yeah, it is pretty cute,” she concedes, as she zaps him and he falls to the ground.

 

**Author's Note:**

> come scream at me about all things voltron on [tumblr](http://longhairpidge.tumblr.com)!


End file.
